Why couldn’t he do that yesterday?

Sunday Johnson said that schools were safe and parents should send their children if they were open in their area. Monday national lockdown. It feels like the government don't know what they are doing from one day to the next. Impossible to have any confidence in this government or the decision making process.

I echo those who have said “Excellent post Luckygirl “ Factual and fair. I shall keep a copy for any future nonsense about schools being unprepared, lazy teachers etc.

I bumped into someone who still works in a school, as a year head in a pastoral role, she looked completely exhausted, stressed and drawn, and that was before the term supposedly started again.

I echo everything said by Ashcombe. My DD is a Deputy Head too in a Primary school, and she has worked so hard these past few months to help keep the school safe, but it's a near impossible task with younger children, plus some parents don't exactly help.

Another one saying thanks to Luckygirl for her post.
I've just complained on another thread about the shambolic mismanagement by this government.
So many excited, happy young primary school children back in school yesterday. Their parents will have to find the lease scary way of explaining why they'll be out of school for weeks. The decision should have been made before they went back as it was so obvious to everyone, except it seems Mr J and his equally hopeless education minister.

I thought I heard him say nurseries and early years learning would still be accessible but my grandkids primary includes a nursery part and that is all closed apparently ?

??Luckygirl
I wonder how many people outside education are aware of the stress and anxieties, not to mention physical exhaustion that teachers etc are evidencing?
I spent Sunday and yesterday morning with my D who is a secondary maths teacher and saw how the messages from her school were coming through every few minutes as the Head tried to make contingency plans for this week. She doesn’t work Mondays but was in a virtual (Zoom ) staff briefing at 8.30 yesterday morning , followed by a Teams planning session (which was why I stayed on to look after the children) and then SIL took over at 12 so that she could plan the entire Y7 online lessons for this week in the afternoon . She will be on a rota with other staff and also of course in school for the students who will be attending - vulnerable or key workers’ children and she like the other staff will continue to be exposed to the virus.
The grandchildren’s school was still scheduled to be open when I left so they were supposed to be looking out uniform, PE kits etc but of course that is all back in the melting pot.
To be fair, many schools would have had an INSET day yesterday so the children were at home, but oh the frustration of a planning day only to have the goalposts moved after you have finished! I can only think they were juggling several plans A, B and C .
Anybody who thinks that “closing the schools” is simply that needs to look closer- we are not talking empty buildings and staff WFH but a difficult balance of face to face and virtual education, by staff who are juggling their own childcare and depleted staff numbers with their own or family Covid infection.

Well said Mawbe. And yet many people on social media still ranting about teachers or teachers unions. I would have hated to have to suddenly turn my style of teaching into online classes, it is not easy!

Two GSs, Y8 and Y11, have both started remote learning today. I have seen the email sent to parents and I can't make head nor tail of the jargon, but my DS and his partner have been through it all before and so have the boys who seem to understand what to do and how to do it. I am on call in case something is too hard to understand - please may I be excused from Maths? My impressions are that the school has a contingency system and lessons ready to go on line. I hope all schools are as well organised.
Most disturbing is the news that external exams are to be cancelled again and this will affect my Y11 GS and my GD who is in Y13 in a different school.

Maggiemaybe

I don’t usually carp about last minute decisions - we’re in a rapidly changing situation and the powers that be have to react accordingly. But letting so many children go back for one day was ridiculous. Apart from upsetting the children and causing all sorts of problems for staff, we’ll now have grandparents looking after DGS who may have been exposed to the virus today. Brilliant.

I agree Maggie
The situation was known, and although understandable to leave decision making until late, it could and should have been announced either last Friday or Saturday.

Urmstongran

We bubble for childcare. Their school will decide tomorrow who needs to be on the list of children of key workers (our daughter as she will be in work teaching other key workers children). Their school had an inset day today. Surely be mid afternoon when the schools knew this was happening the list ought to have been ready? Nothing on their website tonight. I feel sorry for the parents with no back up who have to tell their employers.

Another fine mess Stanley.

As you said, it was a training day so don't you think they were doing that? Most were preparing for the coming term, others had particular curriculum training with possibly outside trainers in. In the afternoon it was pure speculation what the PM was going to say about schools, for example, do both parents have to be key workers? Schools had absolutely no idea how many children would be turning up this morning so please stop with the teacher bashing. The government could have at least given them last weekend to start making plans.

Why aren't Nurseries shut my grandson and my friends grandson both go to Nurseries where there has been an outbreak of covid?

vegansrock

Can’t believe some on here blame schools and teachers - it was this shambolic government lurching from one set of rules to another, despite all the red flags and warning bells that schools wouldn’t cope with rising levels of sickness plus being expected to do mass testing with no support. If this government really values schools, then teachers should be high on the list for the vaccine alongside other key workers.

I agree the Govenment has been shambolic, but that doesnt mean schools couldn't have had basic contingency plans in place.

MayBee70.
Then she should NOT have sent him to school in the first place. Your DD put sending her child to school over that childs safety, she didn't HAVE to send the child, she chose to send the child to school regardless. So she shouldn't be complaining as every one else KNEW that the full National lock-down was inevitable so why did she send him at all.

This Government leave many things to the last minute. I fully appreciate that education is vital but at a time like this the only sensible thing to do is a proper lockdown with clear rules of Stay Home, Stay Safe, Protect the NHS, that even the rule dodgers should understand. We have to make the effort to master this virus once and for all. I posted a thread on here mentioning that the 20-65ish age group should be vaccinated before some older groups. I really feel that those who can keep the schools, businesses and shops open should come higher up the list.

Usually I support the government in their attempts to keep up with this disgusting illness but, on this occasion, I do think the one day return and all it entailed for school staff and parents was daft.

I would make the point though that no government could possibly predict the new variant's appearance. You can say that all viruses mutate, of course they do, but how can government and the scientists know in advance how a variation would shape-shift as well as when it would change.

We now have the South African shape to deal with. Does anyone on this page already know how we should deal with that because, if you do, then now's your chance to advise those hard-working scientists.

Personally, I feel everyone, and I mean everyone, is just doing their best against unpredictable circumstances. The only people not doing their best are the deniers.

For once Johnson actually sounded serious. Is this cause for further concern?

It is ridiculous. He should have announced it earlier.
Some GC are upset they can’t go to school, my children are distraught that their business will be closed again or are back to no income again with rent and bills to pay.
We on GN could run the country better. We’d know how to keep businesses going and with schools closed so it’s not just people on pensions, or benefits because they aren’t working, or those lucky ones who can work from home, haven’t had their income changed.
Oh and Ashcombe and Luckygirl you seem to know a lot about the difficulties faced by teachers. Keep posting!
I spent yesterday am dealing with technical problems with Prowise which had decided to make things difficult for staff preparing online delivery.

I really cant see why teachers havent been vaccinated by now, a friend who has 2 relatives in the nhs, a consultant and a dentist, they have not been vaccinated yet. What are they playing at. The vaccine has been available for a month now

One teacher on TV a few weeks back asked why he couldn’t see his grandchildren when he knew their family had followed all the rules .
Yet he could teach a class of 28 when he didn’t know if their families had been following the rules .
I live in Sheffield and feel desperately sorry for teachers that have been going to school to teach the children from Page Hall.
That area never bothered with the first lockdown and never followed any of the rules .
The police have rented a house on the estate to try to keep them under some sort of control.
The house got vandalised yesterday .
A 3yr old was hospitalised on New Years Day because the parents where out on the streets with the child throwing stones and fighting each other with weapons.
Google it if you can’t believe these people it’s on Sheffield on Line Facebook page ,Sheffield Star , a few other local pages

Mollygo ...Have to disagree with you there that ‘we on GN could run the country better’ ?although some no doubt think that they could.

Well said Luckygirl and vegansrock. As the MIL of an assistant head of a high school I know how much work is being put in by the teachers . New Years Eve and Day was spent in zoom meetings trying to get things organised for mass testing and some online teaching! During the first lockdown the school delivered meals, schoolwork and laptops to children who didn’t have them, the staff are exhausted and now it begins again, and because of this government’s in aptitude they’re playing catch up already!

I work in the boook trade and I'm furious at the way these (and other) small businesses have been treated by this government. The run up to Xmas is absolutely essential to them, but Bozza made them all close 'to avoid a full lockdown' whilst allowing the big guys to carry on as normal. And now - big surprise - we have the lockdown anyway. I really despair.

This was in the early hours of New Year’s Day I forgot to mention that .
They had been in the streets from New Years Eve

He's such a ditherer isn't he.

antheacarol I can well believe you.